FREE in NYC: Day 4 – MUSIC @ HIP SOULS AT THE MALL – Broadway @ Bryant
August 1, 2010 Leave a Comment
The following is Part 4 of a documentary about a week I am spending in NYC. I have a free place to stay in exchange for watching a couple of pleasant kitty cats. With almost no money (literally) and enough food to last for about three more days, I am set on having a great week by working through these obstacles. It’s not going to be easy, but if it works out, it could be fun… Check out the official page of this NYC journal to get a better understanding of the factors going into this week. NYCBLOG[portal]
*side note- my phone and camera are still not working. this sucks as I really wanted to share those photos with you. My apologies for now, just give it time. This was an incredible day for me and its great to tell someone about it and without the photos, the presentation just won’t be the same, so please check back in some near time or subscribe and you will get an update when they arrive. Thanks…
DAY 4: Broadway @ Bryant, Music at the Mall, Dirty Urchins, Hunterfest, soulful meetings.
This was by far my most active day so far, and will probably conclude as being my favorite. I took many pictures. I saw beautiful sights. I met beautiful people. I heard lots of free music. NYC rules on days like today. Here’s how it all got started.
The trek downtown began on Park Ave, then up 72nd and over to 5th. With a left on fifth, I was in an architectural photo heaven. Beautifully carved human-made designs amplifying the natural ambiance of Central park. The history of this area screams of wealth and influence. This was a wonderful prelude to the rest of the day’s journeys.
Continuing down 5th, I found myself in the hustle and bustle of 59th st, which strikes me as predominantly tourism. Languages from all over the globe meld into one sound. In this atmosphere, one can’t help but feel like a tourist, even if they are from these parts.
My first destination was Bryant park, and 42nd street quickly approached. A quick right past the library and I arrived. Amongst the 90 degree temps was a block of humidity, strong enough to weigh down a feather on the moon. This didn’t stop hundreds of people from grabbing chairs and flocking to the grassy area of the park. At the head of the grass was a stage, featuring a well displayed banner describing the days events and their corporate sponsors. Corporations love to brag about their endowments towards the arts, but who can really complain, as they spend millions to allow freeloaders like myself to enjoy a free show once in a while. So thank you to the fine sponsors of this particular event.
Today’s sampled productions came from 4 top billed shows: The Lion King, The Adam’s Family, Wicked, and a new hit called Next To Normal. It was way too hot for this type of singing, but it was entertaining enough that the heat could be overlooked ( I love watching people use umbrellas as sun visors without little regard to the fact that they may be obstructing someone’s view.) All of the performers here were very talented, but the young girl from Next to Normal was by far, a standout performance, at least for me, and judging by the applause, for everyone else who was there. {try and find out her name.
When it was all over, I placed my borrowed chair back on the stone path and traveled back towards 5th. My next stop was to be at “The Mall,” a district of central park, where live music was going to take place. It was however, about to rain, but I wasn’t gonna let that stop me from getting there and enjoying some free tunes.
Last week, I had visited a friend in New England and we up to the mountains to hike. As we got closer to the range, it appeared that rain would soon follow. We stopped off at some random exit and we each bought a poncho. Fortunately for us, the rain had already hit the top of the mountain by the time we got to it, so the poncho was never used. I did however bring it with me on Day 4 just in case it rained… which it did.
While everyone was popping umbrellas and casually hitting random tourists with their pointed borders, I was breezing on up the ave, confident in my decision, proud to be wearing my mountainous rain gear. I think New Yorkers and Bostonians take a certain pride in being prepared for the elements. Today, I was a prepared New Yorker! The rain only lasted 10 minutes, but it may have been this rain that hath destroyed my telecom unit thus hindering my means of sharing photos with you. Win some, lose some!
As I approached the park, I was excited. I had read about a small festival that was taking place here today, and from what I gathered about it, the music was to be to my appreciation. When I got there, it was too early, so I wandered towards Bethesda Lake. Over time, this has become one of my most favorite spots to hang. The beautiful lush scenery and mellow vibes never fail at bringing me calm. And usually, there is some sort for thing going on there. Last time they were filming a movie. This time, there was a choir with strings singing in the tunnel.
From the warm sounds of Bach, to their inspirational covers of pop or R&B hits, The Boyd family was a charming addition to my day. Not only myself, but scores of others gathered around under the tunnel to be captivated by their angelic sounds. A couple wearing a dress and tuxedo pranced around as if it was their wedding ceremony (which it may have been, although I suspect it was a photo shoot.)
The group contained what appeared to be the father singing tenor, while there were 4 young kids of varying ages, two boys and two girls, harmonizing with the father all while being backed by an upright bass, an alto sax, and a cello. This was thoroughly enjoyable and the ambiance was nothing short of spiritual. This was a nice way to fill time in between the Broadway at Bryant, and the music that was to take place at the Bandshell. Thank you Boyd family for being there when you were.
The Naumberg Bandshell has provided me several musical experiences over the years. The last time I was here, there was the solstice festival, which I will create a page for at some time. It was at this bandshell that I saw the Yale Percussion group and that was a great time. At other random occasions,Ihave stumbled upon some other random shows. So when I arrived here and no one was playing, I had to pause and wonder if I had mucked the dates up.
I approached a lady who had a positive energy flowing from her. She seemed to be setting up some artwork for display. I asked her when the music would start and she said that 45 minutes seemed about right… great! I could go back and feed the kitties, and have a guilt free night of dancing and listening. I thanked her and it was back to the apartment.
On the way back, I overheard a conversation from two young hippy types who had been hiking the mountains. I gave them a thumbs up and continued on my way. They probably thought I was crazy. Great!
Upon arrival, I fed the kitties had a quick snack which was basically an egg and an apple, took a load off of the feet for a few, and then back out to the park. I mention this moment because I want to emphasize what an amazing feeling it is to stay at at place in the city that is so accessible to so many things, and so close that I could stop off for a quick bite and then go back into the city and be where I was going within minutes… most people have to travel to the city from other areas and may not have this sort of luxury. I am very appreciative of such things and am really envious of those who can do this on a daily basis.
When I returned to the Bandshell, there was a fellow on guitar, singing. He had a good spirit and was enjoyable to watch. There was at this time however, no crowd, so the energy levels lacked. Unfortunately for this fellow, there was a group of musicians playing just up the Mall and they were sounding awfully good to me, so I strolled on over. What I got to see here was for me, quite astounding.
They combine blue grass and folk and feature a male singer/guitarist, an upright bassist who also sings, and a female guitarist who had one of the most powerful voices I have heard in a while. I sat there for 15 minutes, with my mouth dropped… who was this group of souls and why were they here?
They call themselves the “Dirty Urchins.” After they were through, I immediately thanked them for a tremendous performance. I spoke with the bassist who informed me that they were local and that they gig around town. After doing some research, I realized that the beautiful voice of Julia Hatigan, which is what drew me there in the first place, is actually an acclaimed solo artist and apparent friend of the band who may have just been sitting in on this day. Fortunate for all of us there, as she melds well with this group and the overall sound was very intriguing. If this is your scene, check em out. They really had the stuff today!
As soon as they finished, music began to emanate from the bandshell. They were called Cryptic Skin, and it was mix of electro beats and a female vocalist. She later invited a friend of hers to the stage and her name may have been Jen. She is a guitarist with remarkable skills. When the electro set was over, Jen appeared and walloped the devoted crowd with a solo rendition of Stairway to Heaven. Very nice!
When their set ended, a fellow came out and played an elctro-acoustic guitar solo for a bit. Turns out, he was the guy responsible for this festival of music. It was called “Hunterfest,” aptly named for the band that he is part of called “Mr. Hunter.” I saw an ad for this fest that they had posted on Craigslist and it seemed to be something I would enjoy. After about 45 minutes of set up, Mr. Hunter came on and played a nice set.
They began with a jam and then a cover of Rolling Stones. So far so good. Then they came on strong with a cover of Breathe by Floyd and tucked a couple of other songs in between the intro and the Reprise. I was impressed as that song is on my list. They continued to play a mix of covers and originals, but their covers were unique in that they weren’t just covers, but alterations, adding a Jam Band sort of feel to a rock and roll groove. This was my cup of tea.
The singer was outstanding. She seemed to be either new or filling in as she read the words from sheets, but after her nerves settled, she really fell into the groove. Not much dancing going on here, but a lot of foot tapping and head bobbing. They took a song by Collective Soul and added texture to it. That was unique.
I enjoyed this festival. It could have been promoted more and maybe more people would have shown up, but heads like me were probably down at Times Square for Phil and Bobby anyway so it was understandable that the crowd was thin. Nonetheless, it was a good time and this band has potential for success. I gave an ample compliment to the singer after the show. I went to say hey to the guitarist and founder of the festival, but he had already taken off. Maybe he was heading to see Phil? So hey, thanks for the festival Chris.
Anyway, the real highlight of my day came when I glanced over and saw the lady that I had spoken to earlier, you know, the one who told me I should come back. Turns out, she was one of the artists that were displaying their works. I hadn’t even payed attention to the art as I was so focused on the music. But during one of the songs, I peered over and was floored at how stunningly beautiful these pieces were; Abstract design with radiating colors of a magical hue. This is the kind of art that I dig.
I approached her after the show and we immediately were in tune in the conversation. It was indeed her work and she was a traveling soul. We spoke for some time about festivals and art and places where art thrives and Frida Kahlo and all sorts of other things. Her friend was also very nice and we spoke for a bit as well. These were kindred spirits; the type of person that I connect with, and the type of soul that is needed to keep this earth in balance. May you both find ample amounts of joy and success on your endeavors and may prosperous times greet you wherever you may be.
By the way, her name is Alicia, and here is a link for her website…Artbyalicia
We parted on pleasant handshakes and smiles. And I was off to capture my days events and upload them here, to this blog. It is unfortunate that I couldn’t take more photos or have them uploaded right away. Hopefully, soon, down the road, I will be able to share those pics with you.
This was a remarkable day filled with arts and entertainment, and most of all, positivity, which I needed more than almost anything else. May this energy be passed on to you, the readers of this page. Check out the artists and musicians I spoke of. I feel it is my duty to share them with you, in case you haven’t seen or heard of them before. Many thanks to all of them, to Central and Bryant Parks, and once again to NYC, for allowing a poor soul like myself the opportunity to enjoy music and arts for free, when I really needed them. Peace. See you tomorrow…
ONE LINE SUMMARY: It is easy to feel less hungry when your are being fed free music all day!
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